This invention pertains to sewing machines, more particularly, to a sewing machine having the capability for upper feed of work material.
There are many examples in the prior art of sewing machines having the capability of feeding work material from the upper surface thereof. Such a sewing machine is shown in the recent U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,826, issued on Feb. 3, 1976 to Nicolay et al. In that patent, there is disclosed a sewing machine having alternating hold down foot and feeding foot, which feeding foot is moved while pressed against a work material in order to effect movement thereof.
There is also the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,808,994 and 3,614,934 which disclose sewing machines with upper feed having presser feet and feeding feet supported on members substantially coaxial. In the above prior art, and any other prior art of which we are aware, feeding may only take place in either direction along a line. Ideally, what is required is a sewing machine with a universal upper feed having the capability to feed in any direction, which capability could be utilized with intelligence record carriers to create patterns of unusual size and intricacy. Further, such an arrangement would require no lower feed and would permit the use of a bed of a very small cross section to simplify stitching operations upon a sleeve or cuff.